Fixed-jaw spanner



Patented Jan. 1, 1924.

UNITED srATEs WALTER HEEBEET 000K, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

FIXED-JAW SPAN'NER.

Application filed September 19, 1922. Serial No. 589,038.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WALTER HERBERT Cook, a subject of the King of En land, and residing at Nazing Lodge, Oak oad, New Southgate, London, England, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Fixed-J aw Spanners, of which following is a specification.

This invention relates to fixed-j aw spanners for hexagonal nuts and bolts and has for object to provide a spanner, without any yielding or loose-jaw members which will not only take at the same end nuts of two or more sizes but will allow the spanner at that end to ratchet over the corners of the nut or bolt-head.

According to the present invention, a fixed-jaw spanner comprising on one side a plurality of jaw faces arranged in echelon and parallel to an opposite rectilinear aw face, is made to ratchet or ride over the corner of the nut engaged, when on the return or non-working stroke of the spanner. This novel result in a fixed jaw spanner is obtained by making each stepped jaw face which is parallel to the rectilinear jaw face, of a length equal to approximately onethird the face of the hexagonal nut or bolt the head for which it is intended. This onethird length of face whilst enabling the spanner to engage the nut operatively on its working stroke, allows the shorter face jaw to ride over the corner of the hexagonal face engaged, when the return or non-working stroke of the spanner takes place.

Upon the accompanying drawings, Flgure 1 shows a fixed-jaw ratcheting spanner made according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view indicating in dotted lines four nuts operatively engaged by the various jaws.

Figures 3, 4t and 5 on a smaller scale show the same spanner engaging nuts of three different sizes and on the working stroke.

Figures 3 4 and 5 show how the shorter jaw of the spanner in Figures 3, 4: and 5 moves towards the next adjacent corner of the nut in the ratcheting movement.

The spanner may be single-ended, as shown, or double-ended as will be obvious; and is illustrated as having a handle or stem a. The rectilinear face of the jaw is shown at b. Parallel with said rectilinear face are two or more jaws here shown four in number at c d e f and connected together by steps 9 parallel with the inner face h.

ing stroke of the spanner.

The jaws 0 (Z c f are each one-third the length of the face of the hexagonal nut which they are intended to engage. The JfaW face 6 preferably projects beyond the ace The ratcheting action will be understood from the figures, particularly Figures 5 and 5 The nut 71 in Figure 5': is operatively engaged by the spanner through the faces 6 f and g and the nut is thus turned in the direction of the arrow. In Figure 5 the extremity of jaw-face f is travelling along the hexagonal face a" of the nut and when this movement has been continued 'to allow the extremity f to pass beyond the corner Z of the nut, the said corner or angle will become engaged by the faces f and 9 so as to be ready for the next work- This corner Z of the nut is the one between the hexagonal face which has just been engaged and the next hexagonal face to be met by the jaw face f. From Figure 4? it will be noted that as the jaw 01 travels along the face of the nut, the corner i of the nut rides along the rectilinear unserrated face 6. So far as I am aware this ratcheting action in a fixed jaw spanner is entirely novel and it is due entirely to the herein described construction wherein each of the jaw faces opposite to the rectilinear jaw face 6 is of a length equal to one-third of the face of the hexagonal nut or bolt-head which is to be operatively engaged by that stepped jaw face. I

The spanner shown in Figures 1 and 2 is intended to take four nuts of consecutive standard sizes, but I wish it to be understood that two, or more than two, stepped faces parallel to the rectilinear face I) and each approximately one-third of the length of the hexagonal face of the particular nut or bolt-head, may be provided.

As regards the expression approximately one-third of the length I desire it to be understood that this fraction may vary very slightly according to the amount of clearance allowed between the parallel jaws and the nut which they are designed to en age. It will be noted the jaw faces a d e f are arranged in echelon and that in addition to being of increasing length from the jaw face for the smallest to the jaw face for the largest nut, they are joined by steps a which decrease in len th from the jaw face a to the jaw face 7. he spanner when turned over so that the rectilinear jaw face bis on the right instead of the left will work operatively and likewise ratchet, in the opposite directions to those illustrated.

The improved spanner may be rnade doule-ended if desired, as will be obvious, and it may be formed by stamping, drop forging or otherwise. It will be noted that it has no loose parts or yielding jaws to enable the ratchetingaction to be obtained.

HaVingthus described my invention what Iclai n is v 1. fixed jaw spanner, comprising a rectilinear jaw face, and a series of stepped jaw faces opposite to and parallel to said rectilinear jaw face, each of said stepped jaw faces being in length equal to approximately one third of the face of the hexagonal nut which is to: be op eratively engaged by that jaw face, and the steps of said stepped jaw faces being of such a length that they decrease from the smallest to the largestof the said jaw faces.

2. A fixed-jaw spanner, comprising a plurality jaw faces arranged in echelon, a

rectilinear, unserrated jaw face opposite to said plurality ,of jaw faces and parallel thereto, each of said jaw faces in echelon being of a length equal to one third of the face of the hexagonal nut which is to be engaged by that jaw face, the steps between the jaw faces in echelon decreasing in length from the smallest to the largest of the said techeloned jaw faces.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WALTER HERBERT coon. I 

